Crests and Flowers
by spooky cat
Summary: First story! TK's got a surprise for Kari... Mainly Takari, with a bit of Taiora too (Mimoe and Kenyako too - it all depends on how you interpret it). Please read and review!


Seeing as this is my first fanfic ever, (not just for FF.net), I figure that this can't be that good. So, all I say is the following:  
-Beware of SAP and MUSH, of the Takari variety (and a bit of Mimoe, Kenyako and Taiora too - although, some of it may not be romantic, depends on how you interpret it.)  
-This is kind of an off shoot of the end of the 02 season. There are no kids anywhere to be seen though  
-Special thanks to Jack, Zxcv and Keeper of Dreams over in the Digimon Forum for answering my question (cause if they didn't, this story wouldn't exist)  
-If Kari and TK are 11 or 12 during 02, in this story, they're about 22-25 (I'm not too sure how old I want them to be in this story)  
-A little artistic license has been taken with the colour of Joe's Crest (I called it white in the story, and it may be different elsewhere)  
-Please Read and Review! Yays, Nays, Constructive Criticism and Slurpees all accepted gratefully. ^_^  
  
CRESTS AND FLOWERS ~ by spooky cat  
  
Kari Kamiya unlocked the door to her apartment, and stepped inside. Placing her camera on the floor, she attuned her ears, expecting to hear the familiar clicking of keys as her boyfriend, TK Takashi worked on his newest project - a novel about their various journeys through out the Digital World. Realizing that there was no noise at all, Kari began to wonder. Normally, when she came home from her job at the local elementary school, Gatomon and Patamon would bound up to her and ask her loudly and repeatedly how her day at school had gone. But today, there was nothing. No Gatomon, no Patamon, no clicking keys, not even a 'Hey Kari!' from TK, who usually yelled to her as she let herself in.  
  
Becoming slightly worried, she removed her coat, hung it in the closet and went into the kitchen. Considering the two were living together, on the combined salary of a writer and a teacher, they had managed to find a respectable apartment to share between themselves, as well as two Digimon. Strolling into the kitchen, she found a note taped to the fridge, titled simply 'Kari'. Recognizing TK's careful writing, she pulled the note down from the fridge door, and began to read.  
  
"Dearest Kari...  
You most likely have found this when you came back from work, and realized that the apartment was empty. Everything is fine, so don't worry. However, I do have a surprise for you. See the basket on the table? Pick it up, and inside you'll find a note. Just do exactly as the note says, and all will be revealed, soon enough. And by the way - Yolei and Ken said that they would keep an eye on Patamon and Gatomon for a while, so just let yourself follow the note's directions, and have fun.  
Love, TK"  
  
Reading the note again, Kari was astounded. How long had TK been planning all this? Oh well, it'll be fun, she thought to herself, all the while wondering what her surprise was. Picking up the basket, she placed the first note inside, and picked up the second.  
  
"I knew you'd be a willing participant. Anyway, your task is to solve each riddle that is presented in each card, and collect all eight of the flowers. When you have found the eighth flower, you'll know what to do. See you soon,  
TK  
  
PS: Your first hint - Where do we keep Patamon and Gatomon hidden from prying eyes when the need arises?"  
  
Kari, knowing exactly where this was, placed the second card in the basket, and went to the hall closet. Opening the door, she saw the little bed that Patamon and Gatomon shared when need be, as well as something purple. Picking it up, Kari saw that it was a small, purple flower. Attached to the flower was a small card, with the Crest of Knowledge drawn on top. Confused, she opened the card and began to read.  
  
  
"PURPLE - The Colour of Knowledge  
Kari, you're one of the smartest people I know. And in so many different areas too. Your knowledge aided the group, as well as myself, in countless situations. For that, I will always love you.  
  
HINT: Where the socks live...."  
  
Touched deeply, Kari inhaled the delicate smell of the purple flower, and placed it in the basket, along with its card. Rereading the clue, she headed off to the bedroom.  
  
As she reached the bedroom, she saw the chest of drawers across the room. Covering the short distance in a matter of seconds, she pulled open the top drawer, and began to dig through the socks. In the corner, near the back, her eyes spotted something green. Reaching towards the foreign object, her fingers brushed another card. As Kari pulled it out, she saw that this card was attached to a piece of ivy, and carried the Crest of Sincerity.  
  
"GREEN - The Colour of Sincerity  
Kari, you are truly one of the most sincere people I know. You are always so polite and caring, to human and Digimon alike. For that, I will always love you.  
  
HINT: Click, Click, Click...."  
  
  
Becoming more and more enchanted with the little quest that TK had set her to, Kari thought about the new clue for a minute. Click, click, click....Of course! TK's computer! Or the keyboard, to be more precise. Quickly, Kari exited the bedroom, all the while cradling her basket.  
  
  
As she entered the study, she turned to face TK's desk. As her eyes scanned the desk, full of pictures of herself, TK and the two Digimon, Kari's eyes landed on the keyboard. TK, in a playful mood one day, had ordered a black computer for himself, instead of the normal off-white variety. The black computer was in sharp contrast to the white flower sitting on the keyboard. Picking it up, Kari noticed that the white flower's card was adorned with the Crest of Reliability.  
  
"WHITE - The Colour of Reliability  
Kari, you are also very reliable. You're never one to let your friends, family or various Digimon down, and you're willing to help out in anyway you can. For that, I will always love you.  
  
HINT: My favourite accessory from long ago..."  
  
Kari, knowing instantly what this was, headed off again, in the opposite direction. As she turned the corner in the hall, she headed back to the closet, where she had initially put her coat away. Throwing the door open, she seized a certain white hat, that now lived on a shelf. Pulling it down to her, she reached into the hat, and pulled out a large orange flower, tagged with the Crest of Courage. Tracing her finger over her brother's crest, Kari flipped open the card.  
  
"ORANGE - The Colour of Courage  
Kari, you are truly courageous. During all our battles in the Digital World, you were always ready to go, and willing to look after us all at the same time. You truly have inherited some of your brother's traits, and made them your own. For that, I will always love you.  
  
HINT: Where we shared one of our first kisses in the apartment...."  
  
Kari suddenly became aware of the tears in her eyes. She and TK had developed a private joke about Kari thankfully not inheriting Tai's 'Hair Genes', but she had no idea that TK saw this in her....  
Carefully placing the card and flower in the basket, Kari then replaced the hat in its rightful place on the shelf. Nestling the orange flower in amongst the rest, she began to think about the new clue. As the memories of her and TK moving into the apartment began to swirl around her mind, a certain event came to mind. Making sure all the precious cargo in the basket was secure, she took off for the bathroom.  
  
Reaching her destination, Kari's eyes scanned the room, as she remembered the kiss that TK was talking about....   
  
FLASHBACK - - -   
  
The two had just finished moving all of their belongings into the apartment, and TK had gone to pick up some dinner from the nearby take out restaurant. Kari, who had decided to organize the various rooms, had decided to work on the bathroom first. As time passed, she became so drawn into her work that she lost track of the time, and did not even realize that TK had come back, and was right behind her. As she put out the shampoo bottles, he took her by the arm and kissed her soundly. It was the first kiss the pair had shared in the apartment, as well as the first of many more to come.  
  
- - - FLASHBACK ENDS  
  
Releasing a happy sigh, Kari walked over to the shower, and opened the door. On the floor of the shower was a blue flower, slightly blending into the grey and blue tiles. Bending over, Kari picked it up, and recognized the crest to be the Crest of Friendship, which belonged to TK's older brother, Matt. She placed the basket on the floor and began to read the note.  
  
"BLUE - The Colour of Friendship  
Kari, we started off as the best of friends. When I started in the Digital World, I was all alone, the youngest kid. I felt like such a nuisance sometimes. But when you came, that all changed. We became the closest of friends, always looking after each other, never letting the other feel bad, or left out. Kari, you have no idea how much having you there though both journeys in the Digital World meant to me, and how much I value our friendship. And for that, I will always love you.  
  
HINT: Where you keep all your camera supplies........"  
  
Kari was almost crying now. She valued TK's friendship just as much, but this was the first time that either one had sat down and put their feelings on to paper, something tangible. Placing the flower in the basket, she allowed herself a moment to collect herself before continuing on with her quest.  
  
As soon as she had stopped sniffling, Kari went to the spare room, down the hall from the bathroom. The door was already slightly ajar, just as she had left it that morning. Kari, while a teacher, was also still an avid photographer, and liked to take pictures of her Grade 1 class. As she opened the door, Kari noticed that one of the camera case's was open, and that there was a red rose inside. Hurrying over, Kari snagged the rose from the case, noting the Crest of Love on the tag.   
  
"RED - The Colour of Love  
Kari, you are the most loving person I know. Towards your family, your friends, all the Digimon, and me. You may not know just how much we all cherish and adore you, but as the one who loves you, I feel doubly blessed. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. And for that, I will always love you.  
  
FINAL HINT: The image of us (yes, all four of us), when all was right with the world......."  
  
Knowing exactly what he meant, Kari continued onward to the living room, clutching her basket like a prized toy.  
  
As soon as she entered the living room, Kari picked up the picture that she considered to be her favourite. It was of her, TK, Gatomon and Patamon last year, at Tai and Dora's wedding. Mimi had let go of Joe's arm for a second, and come after the two, camera in hand. Since it was a Digimon friendly wedding, TK and Kari had snatched up Gatomon and Patamon, and smiled for Mimi, hands clasped tightly together. Mimi, as a gift later that year, had made a copy for TK's birthday, and presented it to him. He had proclaimed it to be the best present, as it had his favourite person, as well as his two favourite Digimon, in it with him. Smiling, Kari looked down and saw a pink tulip and a yellow tulip tied together with a piece of silver cord. The attached card proudly showed the Crests of Light and Hope on the front. Kari placed the basket on the table, and began to read the card.  
  
"Dearest Kari  
I knew you'd figure it all out - I never doubted you for a second. I just wanted to say: everything I wrote in those other six cards is totally true. I love and adore you, along with all the facets of your personality. Each facet embodies a quality from each of the Digi Destined, be it Courage, Friendship, Love, Knowledge, Sincerity or Reliability. But there are two more facets to you that need to be explained. As you may have guessed, the last Crest is mine - The Crest of Hope. The Crest of Hope is one that I was not sure of, when I first learnt of it. Everyone else's crests seemed to fit so well. Tai was Courage; Matt was Friendship; Sora was Love; Joe was Reliability; Izzy was Knowledge and Mimi was Sincerity. As for my own, Hope, I was not sure how it applied. And after you came, and we became best friends, I started thinking about how well your crest suited you. Kari, you are my Light, always have been, always will be. Without you, I have no idea where I would be in life. The way that you light up a room, guide the way for others, especially myself, is a quality that no one else will ever be able to utilize, or even attempt to use. I have also realized that while my Crest was primarily used in the Digital World, it also had a place in the real world too. I'm actually using the quality of my Crest right now, hoping that you'll get here soon, as I really need to speak to you about something of great importance. But don't worry, it's noting bad, just quite important. Hope to see you soon.  
Love you forever, with all my heart and soul,  
TK  
  
PS: One more clue, for old times sake - Come to the place where I first showed you my true feelings for you. I'll be waiting."  
  
As she had gotten farther and farther in reading the note, Kari had slowly sunk onto the sofa. As she neared the end, tears were rolling down her face unchecked. Now she new why she loved this man, even more than she already knew, if that was at all possible. Wiping her eyes dry, she grabbed her D-3, left the basket on the table and ran to TK's computer.  
  
  
Minutes later, she was walking in the Digital World, towards a certain field where she had met up with TK a few years ago. The two had been dating since high school, and when TK had asked her to come, she had readily agreed. That was when and where he had poured his heart out to her, and had told her loved her for the first time. Kari had replied with the same answer, and she and TK had begun to plan a new life, together. Kari smiled at the memory, as she continued to walk. The Digital World was at peace, and it was safe to walk almost anywhere, even without a partner Digimon. As she neared the field, Kari began to run.  
  
As Kari entered the perimeter of the field, she noticed a certain blond boy, standing in the centre, back to her. It was almost as if he didn't even realize she was there. As Kari got closer to TK, she slowed to a walk, as not to scare him. All of a sudden, he turned to her, and smiled a huge and truly genuine smile.  
  
"Kari! You're finally here."  
  
TK took her by the wrist and drew her into a hug. Kari returned it willingly, and at the same time began to speak.  
  
"TK...that was one heck of a task you set out for me."  
"Did you like it, though? I was wondering if you would?"  
"Of course I did! It was wonderful - so beautiful and caring, and I loved every minute of it too."  
"I'm glad you liked it but,........"  
"But what? What's going on, TK Takaishi?"  
"But...there's still one more part to it. Did you read the final card?"  
"Of course I did, silly. It was beautiful. I loved every word."  
"Then you know I have something to ask you?"  
"I was wondering about that. What is it? You can ask me anything, you know."  
"Anything??"  
"Anything."  
"Well then, Kari..."  
  
As soon, as he paused, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He then dropped to one knee, and looked Kari straight in the eyes.  
  
"Kari Kamiya, I love you more than life it's self. Hopefully you realized it by way of all those cards."  
  
Stunned, all Kari could do was nod.  
  
"And so, seeing as you know how I feel - Kari Kamiya, will you marry me? Become Mrs Kari Takaishi?"  
  
For a moment, Kari just stood there, absolutely floored. Then she did what her heart told her to do. She simply nodded, and said "yes".  
  
TK, overjoyed, put the ring on her finger and spun her around by her waist, as she began to cry.  
  
"TK, I had no idea..."  
"I'm glad it was a surprise."  
"I do love you, Mr Takaishi."  
"And I love you, 'Mrs Takaishi.' "  
  
THE END  
  
  
Hope you liked it! Please review!! Thanks ^_^  



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